Machine for blocking and pressing hats



(No Model.)

D. E. FOLEY. MACHINE FOR BLOCKING AND PRESSIN'G HATS.

No. 576,567. Patented Feb. 9, 1897 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENNIS E. FOLEY, OF NEW'ARK, NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR BLOCKING AND PRESSING HATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,567, dated February9, 1897. Application filed February 4, 1896. Serial No. 577,971. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DENNIS E. FOLEY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forBlocking and Pressing Hats, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in machines for blocking andpressing hats; and it consists in the novel features hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

The machine made the subject of this application comprises an invertedfemale die of usual form and construction and a verticallyreciprocatingframe supporting, directly below said female die, a head or block uponwhich the hat is placed and which with the hat thereonis moved into saidfemale die and there subjected to pressure, whereby the hat is mosteffectually and satisfactorily blocked and pressed, as hereinafter morefully explained. The head or block to receive the hat is the moreimportant feature of the present invention, and I do not confine its useto any special form of machine. This head or block is in the desiredoutline, and it is made of reasonably stifi rubber or other yieldingmaterial and is filled with water or air or other liquid or fluid. Thehead or block is removable from the machine, and when once filled withthe liquid or fluid may be used almost indefinitely without requiring tobe refilled. I prefer, however, to provide the lower surface of the heador block with a suitablyvalved inlet, through which the head or blockmay be originally filled, and through which also it may receive anadditional charge of the liquid or fluid in case any of the originalsupply thereof should become lessened by reason of evaporation orotherwise. The head or block constitutes a hermeticallysealed casing,which, in conjunction with the female die and means for applying thepressure, serves to effectually block and press the crown and sides ofthe hat and impart a highly- Y finished appearance to the same withoutthe least danger of injury to the material of which the hat is composed.The brim of the hat is pressed at the same time the crown and sidesthereof are pressed, this being effected befemale die will be heated asusual.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of amachine for blocking and pressing hats and embodying my invention. Fig.2 is an enlarged detached View of the female die, looking into the same.Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached top View of the head or block and thesupports for the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detached central verticalsection through said head or block on the dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of said head or block and thesupport with which it is removable from the machine; and Fig. 6 is anenlarged central vertical section through a portion of the lower part ofthe head or block, the section being on the dotted line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings, A designates the main frame of the machine, said framecomprising the side standards B B, the cross-bar 0, connecting said sidestandards, and the vertical guide-rods D D. Between the standards B Band guided on the rods D D is the reciprocating frame E, which carriesthe table F and is adapted to be raised and lowered by any suitablemeans. The inverted female die G is secured to the central part of thecross-bar C and is surrounded at its lower edges by the smooth-surfacedhorizontal flange H, against which the hat-brims are pressed. The die Gwill be heated as usual.

The head or block is indicated by the letter I, and it is mounted on thebed J ,which is preferably of wood and has surrounding the said head orblock the smooth sheet-metal surface K, between which and the flan ge IIof the die G the brim is pressed.

The head or block I constitutes a liquid or fluid filled casing L, ofrubber or other suitable yielding material. In the manufacture of thiscasing I have secured the best results by making it of rubber aboutone-half inch in thickness throughout. In forming the head or block I, Ifirst prepare a plaster-ofparis form of the desired outline and applythe rubber entirely over the surfaces of the same, after which therubber, while on the form, is vulcanized by the usual processes. I thenin what is to be the lower surface of the head or block out a centralhole of about one and one-half or two inches in diameter in the rubberand through this hole extract in fragments the plaster-of-paris form,thus leaving the casing entirely hollow. This hole, which in thedrawings is lettered M, is then effectually closed by means of theplates at h, bolts 0, washers d, and nut c, as shown in Fig. 4. The bolt0 is first inserted through the plate a, and the latter is then insertedthrough the hole M, the rubber being stretched to admit the same, andthereafter the outer plate I), washers (I, and nut e are applied, asshown, to prevent any leakage from about the hole M or bolt 0. Inorderthat the then hollow head or block I may be conveniently filledwith the liquid or fluid and recharged with same should circumstancesrender that course necessary, I provide in the lower side of the headthe valved inlet-nippleN of well-kn own construction, through which theair or liquid may be very conveniently pumped into said head until thelatter is completely and firmly filled. After the head or block I hasbeen charged with the liquid or air it is mounted on the bed J and isthen ready for use.

In the operation of the machine the bed J, carrying the head or block I,is removed from the table F and rested upon a suitable table orwork-bench each time said head is to receive a hat to be blocked andpressed. The hat having been placed on the head or block I the bed J isplaced upon the table F directly below the die G, and thereupon theframe E is elevated to carry the hat and said head or block into the dieG and apply sufficient pressure thereto to effectually press the hat,after which the frame E is lowered, the bed J removed, and the pressedhattaken from the head or block I, whereupon another hat to be pressedis placed upon the said head or block and the latter with the bed Jrestored to the machine. The upward movement of the frame E moves thehat and block or head into the die G, and the final upward pressureapplied on the lower surface of the head or block I causes the water orair to expand the surfaces of said head or block equally and firmly inall directions against the interior of the hat and press the same evenlyagainst the entire inner walls of the heated die G, completely pressingthe hat and imparting a very desirable finish to the same. The head orThe head or block I is a self-contained sealed casing and is bothdurable and effectual, it is simple of use and results in the productionof an improved hat, and it forms a marked advance in this art.

The bolt 0 extends downward into the bed J, and the upper surface of thebed J is re cessed to admit the nute and permit the upward pressurederived from the movement of the table F to act against the centralplate I), the surrounding rubber surface of the block I being above thelower bearing-surface of said plate I), as shown in Fig. 4. The greatadvantage of having the upward pressure act directly against the centralplate I; is that said pressure is thereby enabled to effect from acentral force an equal distribution of the expansion of the rubber blockI against the top and sides of the hat and that the latter is uniformlyand accurately blocked and pressed to a finished condition \Vhat I claimas my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine of the character described, the female die and the heador block to receive the hat and therewith enter said female die, saidhead or block comprising the sealed hollow yielding shell or casinghaving the central bearing-plate b which covers only the central portionof the base of said shell or casing, and a liquid or fluid filling thesaid shell or casing, combined with means for applying pressure againstsaid central plate only for the purpose of causing the liquid or fluidwithin the casing or shell to uniformly expand the latter against thecrown of the hat; substantially as set forth.

2. In amachine of the character described, the sealed head or block ofcomparatively stiff but slightly-yielding material filled with a liquidor fluid under pressure and having at its lower end the filling-nipple Nand aperture M, combined with the plate (1 within said head and coveringone end of said aperture, the plate 1) against the lower end of saidhead and covering the other end of said aperture, the bolt a passingthrough said plates and aperture, the washers d on said bolt and bearingagainst the plate I) to prc vent leakage around the bolt, and the nut con said bolt and clamping the plates a, 1), against the block onopposite sides of said aperture; substantially as set forth.

Signed at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, this81st day of January, A. D. 1896.

DENNIS E. FOLEY.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK SCHARRINGII-IAUSEN, EDWARD G. GEORGE.

